Russian Duma Speaker hopes for victory of "party of peace" at Ukrainian polls

October 24, 2014, 12:40 UTC+3MOSCOW"The party of war" cannot give anything to Ukraine "except for further escalation of the crisis, more suffering and ruins," Russian State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin says

MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin has expressed hope that as a result of the parliamentary election the "party of peace" rather than the "party of war" will come to power in Ukraine.

“Almost 30 political parties have been contesting membership in the Ukrainian Rada. In fact, it is a competition between two big parties —- 'the party of peace' and the 'party of war'," Naryshkin said. He hopes that citizens of Ukraine realize it and that they also understand that "the party of war" cannot give anything to Ukraine "except for further escalation of the crisis, more suffering and ruins."

"An election campaign in Ukraine has been conducted under conditions of deepening split in society, continuing bloody civil war and humanitarian catastrophe. Instead of a normal political competition and a nationwide dialogue there is a growing political prosecution of opponents, mass closure of opposition media agencies and even use of physical force against the opponents," Naryshkin said.

"Obviously, it has become a sort of exercise before the polls to force opponents and deputies of opposition parties into garbage bins instead of ballot papers. People have been frightened to see Nazi-like torch marches staged to intimidate the people, but which go unpunished by the authorities who do nothing to prevent them", the speaker said.